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<-    No.  18. 


WORDS  OF  COUNSEL  TO  CON- 
FEDERATE SOLDIERS. 


It  is  related  that  iis,  on  a  cortain  occasion  some 
years  pust,  in  England,  a  party  of  gentlemen  were 
dining  togctlicr,  among  the  company  v.crc  found  a 
colonel  of  the  army  antl  a  bishop  of  tlie  Church  of 
England.  The  colonel,  like,  as  he  presumed,  a  true 
son  of  Mars,  ^-.Kiw  would  wage  war  upon  the  eon  of 
the  Chuvcii;  bub»as  it  would  have  been  a  violation  of 
military  courtesy  to  make  a  direct  personal  attack 
upon  him,  he  determined  V»  thruat  at  him  through 
the  cloak  of  religion, /and  thus  take  him  at  disadvan- 
tage. In  the  course  of  conversation,  the  colonel  let 
drop  many  bitter  inuondocs  and  insinuations  against 
rrligiou  in  gonbral,  without  any  apparent  eifect  upon 
his  iuti.Mded  victim;  at  length,  pifjucd  at  hifs  ill 
success,  he  observed  that  the  '>nly  rational  prayer  ho 
ever  heard,  proceeded  from  the  lips  of  an  officer  just 
on  the  eve  of  a  battle  ;  he  repcated\it  as  follows  : 
"0  Goi>,  if  there  be  a  God,  have  mercy  upon  my 
soul,  if  I  have  jlsouL  A^nen."  There  en^^ued  a  depp 
silence,  and  all  eyes  seemed  to  turn  upon  the  bish<»p 
in  expectation  of  a  reply  to  this  searecly  covert 
attack  upon  religion,  both  natural  and  revealed.-  /le 
gravely,  and  without  any  a]>parent  emotion,  observed, 
that  he  had-  heard  of,  in  his  humble  opinion,  a  lar 
more  rea>ouablc  aul  proper  one.  uttered  under  pre- 
cisely similar  eirrnmstances,  by  a  private  sobt-cr, 
viz  :  ■  0  l.nu!>  floD.il  in  the  heal  ol' action  I  ibr^et 
Th..'      i      !  i  -  ;-:^"'  I'l'--      Amen." 


2  ^>VORDS  or  COUNSEL 

The  prompt, \lccided  unanimity  of  preference  given 
hy  the  company  to  the  simple  piety  and  manly  fervour 
of  the  latter  over  the  cold  aud  cheerless  scepticism 
of  the  former  prayer  (if  prayer  it  can  be  termed), 
was  a  mortifying  repulse  to  the  insolent  unbeliever, 
whose  lips  were  completely  closed. 

While  reflecting  upon  this  anecdote,  it  suggested 
itself  to  the  writer  that  the  following  dialogue  be- 
tween an  old  pious  sergeant  of  the  revolutionary  line, 
and  a.  clever  private  in  the  army  of  the  present  day, 
might  prove  neitli(?r  an  unapt  nor  a  weak  commen- 
tary upon  it : 

Sergeant.  Well,  Thomas,  I  see  you  are  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Confederate  States.       , 

Soldier.  Yes,  I  took  on  about  a  year  ago. 

Serg.  You  soldiers  of  the  present  day.  have  far 
easier  times  than  we  old  continentals. . 

Sold.  Be  it  so  or  not,  we  thjnk  our  situation  might 
be  bettered.  .  ^ 

Serg.  Come,  now,  let  us  compare  new  with  old  a 
little ;  perhaps  you  will  be  more  content  with  your 
lot. 

Sold.  I  have  no  objection. 

Serg.  First  and  foremost,  you're  better  paid, 
clothed  and  fed.  In  the  Revolution  we  received* but 
a  scanty  stipend  at  best,  and  that  came  very  irregu- 
larly, large  balances  still  'remaining  due ;  besides,  it 
was  in  old  continental  money — mere  rags  corn-pared 
ip  •  actual  value  with  the  bank  notes  you  are^paid 
with.  Our  food  was  miserable  in  quality,  often  in 
a  spoiled  condition,  and  so  scant  that  we  were  oftener 
starving  than  otherwise  ;  and  as  to  clothing,  we  more 
nearly  resembled  scarecrows  than  regulars — many 
were  bl.itjketless,  and  during  our  sad  retreat  through 
the  Jer.seys,  our  army  could  have  been  traced  hy  our 
men's  shoeless  and  often  bJoody  tracks. 


TO   CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS'.  3 

Sola.  Is  it  possible  !  Those  were  hard  times,  in 
truth.     And  did  none  mutiny  ? 

'^ei-g.  3Iutiiiy  !  Ah,  we  had  no  time  for  that.  We 
were  continually  in  motion  or  in  action;  but  above 
all,  our  poor  fellows  were  full  of  patriotism,  an.d 
thought'far  less  of  their  own  sufferings  than  of  their 
country's  wrongs.  Now,  I  dare  say,  Thomas — I  mean 
no  offence  to  you — were  Congress  to  reduce  the  pay 
of  their  soldiers  now,  and  to  order  them  upon  hard 
and  dangerous,  service,  with  scanty  clothing  and  short 
allowance,  they  might  mutiny. 

Sold.  I  think  you  are  hard  on  us,  my  old  friend. 

Serg.  Not  a  whit,  not  a  whit,  Thomas.  Pardon 
an  old  veteran's  bluntness,  but  human  natuje  is  hu- 
man nature  still ;  however,  I  speak  not  without  observ- 
ation. A  year  or  more  ago.'l  spent  some  months 
with  a  grand-daughter  of  mine  who  is  married,  and 
lives  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  *  *  *  *  ;  like  all  old  sol- 
diers who  love  to 

"  Shoulder  a  crutch,  and  show  howjields  were  worv," 

I  was  attracted  by  the  rattle  of  the  drum,  and  fre- 
quently visited  the  fort,  where  T  formed  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  some  of 
the  privates.  Thus,  yim  see,  I  had  ^opportunity  ol 
seeing  and  hearing  how  thiu;:s  are  carried  on  in  these 
times.  ITj^ou  the  word  of  an  old  soldier,  Lhey  com- 
pare but  illy  with  old  times. 

Sold.  No  doubt,  in  your  opinion,  old  folks  are  sadly 
prejudiced,  one  and  all. 

Serg.-  Perhajis  so,  but  let  Uh  see  the  result  of  my 
discoveries  at  Fort  *  ^  *  *  .  First  of  all,  desert ionj; 
were  of  every-day's  occurrence,  and  the  most  trifling 
causes  were  alleged.  When  1  expressed  my  honest 
indignation  at  so  base,  so  unsoldierly  a  crime,  for- 
sooth I  was  laughed  at.     What!  exclaimed   I,  is  it 


4  WORDS   or   COUNSEL 

no  crime  to  forswear  one's  self?  to  be  false  to  our 
Maker  and  to  our  country  at  the  same  time?  I  was 
only  mocked  at  the  more,  liittcr  taunts  were  uj^red 
against  religion,  and  as  to  patriotism,  scarcely  one 
knew^vhat  it  nicant.  Now,  toll  me,  whether  such 
men,  if  exposed  to  the  privations  cheerfully  borne  by 
my  brave  and  trusty  old  comrades,  in  "  times  which 
tried  men's  souls,"  would  be  likely  to  stand  by  their 
colours. 

Sold.  1  must  candidly  say,  I  fear  not;  and  more- 
over, I  regret  I  cannot  ffay  that  desertions  are  less  fre- 
quent at  my  station. 

Serg.  Drunkenness,  too,  to  a  beastly  degree,  com- 
monly prevailed  at  Fort  *  *  '''  *,  and  was  not  looked 
upon  in  general  by  the  men  as  disgrace ful  ;  indeed, 
it  was  deemed  manly  to  make  light  of  it ;  ajid  when  a 
man  wa«  punished  on  account  of  some  crime  he  liad 
committed  while  drunk,  he  was  viewed  as  a  kind  of 
martyr,  because  his  excuse  of  ''being  a  'little  /////A,' 
and  didn't  know  what  he  was  doing,"  was  not  taken. 
And  as  to  the  hmg-delayed  and  mild  inflictions  of  a 
modern  court-martial,  compared  with  the  prompt, 
efficacious  sentence  of  aji  ,uld.  drum-head,  they  only 
appeared  to  provoke  ridiculcr- every  drill  and  parade 
the  ranks  were  sure  to  be  disordered,  till  one  or  more 
staggering  soldier  was  sent  to  the  guard-house — some- 
times when  a  crowd  of  ladies  and  gcnilcmen  were 
present  as  spectators,  this  shameful  exhibition  took 
place;  but  1  never  found  that  those  guilty  were  at 
all  pointed  at,  or  considered  dishoiiourcd  by  their  com- 
rad(4s.  But.  however  men  may  regard  so  vile  a  habit, 
the  words  of  the  Bible  will  ever  be  ibund  true  in  the 
end—At  the  hist  it  biteth  like  a  serpent,  and  sting- 
eth  like  ;in  adder.      I'rov.   xxiii,  82.' 

SohJ.    tjnw  is  that,  pray? 

Sery.  Do   you  ask  ?  but  you  are  a  young  soldier 


TO    OONrEUERATE   SOLDIERS.  5 

yet.  Why,  the  •'  7naii la  apofu/'  as  the  doctors  call  it — 
the  horrours — the  being  confined  on  bread  and  water 
ill  a  bomb-proof,  etc.,  are  rather  biting.  Then, 
squandering  their  wages,  destroying  their  constitu- 
tions, bringing  on  chronic  disorders  and  bilious 
fevers — beingrtempted  to  steal,  lie,  and  desert — being 
often  discharged,  and  shamefully  drummed  out  of 
service  as  confirmed  sots — rail-  these  are  capable  of 
stinging  to  the  qui<?k  as  to  the  present  life ;  and  as 
to  that  to  coine,  tlie  l>i])le  declares  that  "the  drunk- 
ard shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  GoD." 

So/d.  These  tilings  appear  very  wrong,  without 
going  so  niucli  to  the  Bible;  that  will  do  very  well 
for  nervous  old  women— they  are  lar  readier  subjects 
t(5  be  priest-ridden  than  we  soldiers. 

Serg.  Surely,  Thomas,  you  don't  mean  to  cast  dis- 
respect upon  the  Bible  I  You  read  it,  sometimes, 
of  course  ? 

^Sokl  Not  I,  indeed;  not  since  T  whs  a  boy  at 
home  :  though  there  are  a  number  im  4  he  mantle- 
piece  in  my  barrack  room. 

Srrnj.  Not  read  God's  word  in  a  Christian  country? 
and  wliy,  indeed  ?. 

Sold.  You  call  it  the  Word'of  OoD.  I 'am  not 
.sure  that  it  is  ;  nor,  in  trutii,  imr  I  altogether  certified 
that  there  is  such  a  being. 

>Scrr/.  Amazing  I  J^'hy,  Thomas,  you  astonish  me 
quite;  vfhat,  has  not  your  chaplain  taken  the  pains 
to  instruct — but  what  do  I  say ;  perhaps  you  have 
no  chaplain  in  your  regiment. 

SoJd.  No,  indeed,  \ve  don't  allow  such  folks  to 
humbug  us. 

Serf/.  "Move's  the^pity  of  you,  and.shame  upon  it. 
But  ah  I  tiie  old  continental  Congress  and  General 
Washington,  God  bless  their  memory,  Wiought  differ- 
eutT)-;  so  did  my  old   Colonel  G.  ^nd    (Captain    M, 


*  V)  J^A'^OrJDfi    OF   COT?NSEL 

Many  and  oft  are  tlie  times  that  I  liave  seen  the 
general's  staff,  and  the  several  regimental  .staiTs,  stand- 
ing witli  hats  doffed,  while  our  chaplain  offered  up, 
by  order  of  ODngress.  at  the  head  of  the  army  drawn 
up  in  hollow  square,  thanksgivings  for  our  past  suc- 
cesses, and  implored  a  blessii\gupon  our  arms  for  the 
future — ah  I  believe  me.  *t  did  us  good,  it  was  a  cor- 
dial to  our  harassed  minds,  and  nerved  anew  our 
wearied  bodies  for  battle  in  our  country's  cause, 

^Sold.  ScrgcaT;.t.  you  are  eloquent:  but  that  was 
.  many  3^ears  ago — things  are  altered  now ;  people  are 
wiser.  We  are  troubled  Avith  little  praying  or  preach- 
ing in  our  regiment,  and  as  to  the  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments, which  the  societies  furnish  gratis  (I  can't  tell 
how),  their  leaves  are  more  torn  outnhan  read. 

Scry.  Yes,  many  years  ago;  and  then  we  were 
familiar  with  want  and  danger,  were  living  from  hand 
to  mouth,  with  no  other  shelter  oftentimes  but  tlie 
sky  above  ;  were  literally  naked,  hungry  and  thirsty 
most  of  the  ^time.  and  no  man  could  tell  when  he 
might  fall  for  his  country — thus  were  we  lea  by  a 
sense  of  our  frailty,  peril  and  want,  to  look  upwards 
for  help  and  strength. 

jSoM.  That  seems  all  reasonable.  You  were  on 
severe,  honourable  and  dangerous  dutj'^,  and  were  al- 
ways employed  ;  but  in  time  of  inaction  we,  for  the 
sake  of  excitement,  visit  the  sutlers,  or  the  numerous 
grog-shops  which  are  by  laic  pimcidt'd  for  the  loeary 
,  and  the  thirsty  IraveUer  within  a  stone's  cast,  and 
stupify  ourselves  with  beer,  or  get  '''  hi(jh'^  upon  gin 
or  Avhisky,  as  it  is  termed,  in  order  to  be  lowered 
below  the  level  of  the  brute, 

Ser(j.  Much  more,  therefore,  do  you  nee.d  moral 
inatruotion.  It  is  said  somewhere,  "  that  idleness  is 
.  the  root  of  all  evil/'  But  if  I  remember  aright,  you 
doubted  awhile  back  the  being  of  a  Goi).  «    . 


*        TO    CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS,  7 

:^old.  Not  altogether ;  but  only  that  I  am  not  quite 
are  in  my  own  mind. 

Stiiy.  When  I  call  to  miml,  Thomas,  your  worthy, 
|)ious  parents,  who  are  both  now  reaping  above  the. 
iVuits  of  their  faith  and  obedience,  it  grieves,  mc  to 
the  .bottom  of  my  heart  to  find  a  ehiVf  of  their's  so 
unbelieving.  Most  willingly  would  I  spend  IfOurs, 
;iay,  days,  to  instruct  you  in  my  poor  way,  if  J  be- 
lieved you  sincerely  desirous  of  learning  ;  but  do  not 
play  upon  an  old  soldier  for  th^i  purpose  of  scoffing, 
I.  beg  of  yon,  Thomas — that  would  be  unmanly. 

Sold.  I  fear  I  have,  my  worthy  old  friend,  given 
you  just  grounds  to  suspect  me  from  talking  heed- 
lessly ;  in  sober  truth,  I  have  latterly  associated  with 
so  many  infidels  and  bad  men  as  to  have  caught  their 
slang ;  but  f^iere  arc  moments,  and  j-tju  have  tou^-hed 
upon  one,  wJien  better  feelings  come  oVer  me  :  then 
the  early  lessons  taught  me  by  my  beloved  parents 
are  remembered,  and  I  feel  that  I  lost  them  before  I 
was  well  prepared  to  withstand  the  temptations  of  the 
world.  Not  to  detain  you,  I  do  wish  some  instruc- 
tion as  to  God,  and  in  regard  to  the  Bible,  that  I 
may  have  somewhat  to  oppose  to  the  boasted  scepti  - 
cism  of  too  many  of  my  companions. 

Sery.  Now  you  talk  like  the  son  of  a  pious  father}^ 
as  you  are ;  and  if  you  will  be  a  patient  listener  to 
an    old    man    who    desires  your   best    good,  I    will , 
endeavour  to  give  you  some   homely  information  on 
such  important  points  as  those  in'  question. 

As  to  a. God — without  going  to  the  Bible — -com- 
mon sense  tells  me  that  all  the  objects  which  I  see 
or  feel,  about,  above,  and  below  me,  on  the  earth  and  * 
in  the  skits,  are  manifestly  to  my  souses  so  adap.ted 
to  each  other,  so  fitted.for  the  purposes  to  which  they 
arejiaturally  applied,  that  some  All-wise,  All|powerful 
Being,  far  superiour  to  man,  must  have  planned  and 


8  WORDS    OF   COUNSEL 

made  them  so.  For  a  plain  oxample.  you  once  knew 
how  to  manage  a  patent  pluiif^h.  as  yon  now  do  to 
handle  a  fire-lock  :  but  you  your;clfoan  neitlicr  manu- 
facture them  nor  liav^^  you  seen  them  fabricated. 
Now,  tell  me,  when  you  compare  their  several  parts — 
wood  work,  share  and  coulter  of  the  one,  and  barrel, 
stockj'lock  and  ramrod  of  the  otluer.  and  .^eo  hnw  well 
adjusted  they  are,  and  \Yhen  joined  to<i;etht:r,  how  ad- 
mirably they  accomplish  certain  useful  ends — do  you 
doubl  that  some  far  more  skilful  man.  personally 
unknown  to  you,- some  time  or  other  has  made  tliemr* 
Sohl.  I  do  not. 

JSei-g.  Now,  it  is  related  that  when  tiie  early  Mexi- 
cans first  beheld  the  Spanish  ships,  with  swelled  can- 
vass, approached  their  shores,  and  afrerv/ards  pinccivcd 
the  terrible  report  and  deadly  effect  of -their  cannon 

•  and  small  arms,  they  believed  the  gods  whom  they 
worshipped  were  come  down  in  human  shape.  A 
watch,  too,  with  its  nice  work,  its  regular  and  aiu- 
mated  motions,  has  been  found  to  strike  savages  with 
the  idea  of  superiour  wisdom  and  power  ;  thougli  they 
iguorautly  consider  the  lunver  to  dwell  in  tlie  v^atch 
itself.         •  '  ' 

fSofd.  These   ideas   aix;  ijulto   novel  (o"  mo.  tliougli 

.^ry  simple. 

iSer(/.  Take  a  more  familiar  ebj-jvl  <i]\\  :  !oi>k  upon 
j'our  hand — is  it  not  wonderrnlly  .-oiifrlvcd  for  all. 
the  uses  to  which  you  put  it:  to  ])rovidc-  the  body 
with  ibod  ;  to  dress  and  cook  it;  to  convey  it  to  tlie 
mouth;  to  manufacture,  fit  and  put  on  clotJies  ;  to 
defend  the  body;  to  handle  the  plougli  and  tlie  '^\m  ; 

to  wield  the  axe;  to  build,  guide  and  manage  sliip.s ; 
to-write,  to  sew,  et^..]  etc.  ?  Jkdnid  your  other  mem- 
bers :  your  eyes,  how  keen  their  vision,  how  delicate 

their  fori^^tion,  and   how   well  fortified  from  injuity, 

and  covered  from  the  lightest  dust;  your  ear,  so  sen- 


TO    CONFEDERATE    SOLDIEKo..  .  9 

sitivo  to  llie  smallest  iio^se,  and  yet  capable  of  sus- 
tainiug  tlie  loudest;  yuiiv  tongue,  to  aid  mastication, 
and  to  Hpea-k  withal,  etc.  Now.  wlio  made  them  thus  ? 
Did  your  father  make  them  V  and  so  on  to  Adam'i? 
Who  made  him.  and  of  Avhat '/  Who,  but  that  All- 
wise,  Almighty  Being  we  call  and  adore  as  God.  foi  med 
man  of  the  dust  of  the  earth  '( 

Sold.  I  see  not  how  to  deny  your  reasoning,  or  that 
its  conclusion  can  be  refuted,  ^\'^hat  yoTi  have  said 
is  simple  enough,  and  yet  is  more  convincing  than  any- 
thing I  have  heard. 

%Sr.r(j.  Because  it  is  the  simple  truth,  and  we  are 
not  left  to  bewildering  chance.  But  -enough," 
they  say,  -is  a  feast;"  I  will  not  weary  you  with 
inore,  but  go  at  once  to  the  Bible. 

S'oM.  Aye,  do  so,  and  explain  how  it  is  the  word 
of  (xOD,  as  you  termed  it  awhile  past.  That  f5eems 
mysterious  to  me.  hov^  GoD  should  have  spoken  to 
man,  whom  he  made  I 

Sn:j/.  That's  somewliat  owing  to  your  mistaking 
my  njeanjug.  ^  have  called  i^.^rOD's  \\\')rd  ;  but  iiot 
'  ■[{  every  word  and  sentence '\Vas  spoken  directly  g)V 
;•  tateU  to  mankind  by  God  himself  j  but  that  mea 
were  raised  up  and  Inspired  b}' him  fi-om  time  to  time 
with  the' substance  of  its^several  parts,  the  language 
Iteiug  thei*L"  ovyU  fhiefly.  L(^  the  Bible  speak  for 
itself^ — ••  Holy  men  of  God  spake  jus  they  were  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost."  2  Peter  i,-21.'  It  is  divided 
you  kiiow  into  two  parts,  the  Old  and  the  New  Te^ 
taments ;  I  will  describe  them  separatel3\ 

Sohif.  Do  so,  I'm  all  attention. 

^S(^r(/.  The  Old  Testament  consists  of  the  books 
written  by  Moses,  and  by  various  leaders,  judges  and 
propiiets  of  the  Jews  who  succeeded  him.  They 
treal  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  the  flood,  and  the 
history  of  mankind  from  Adam  to  Abraham,  and  from 


lU  AVrmoS   OF    OOUN.MEI, 

iiim,  oi'  tlio  liistoiy,  )awi>,  rito,^  and  wor;;Lip   of  tlicir 
Tifitioii  down  to  alHUit  lOU  years  bclbro  Ciir.iflT. 

These  le^aslaior.s  and  profdiots,  in  their  vrritings, 
claiuito  liave  perlornuHl  miraculous  acts  jjeibre.  tlie 
vvholc  mitioHj  and  as  they  ever  appealed  to  theiti  as 
I  lie 'proofs  of  the  divine  source"  of  the  laws,  precepts 
'iiid  prophecies  they  delivered  to  their  countrymen, 
therefore,  the  acknowledgment  b}'  the  latter  of  thgir 
Avritings  as  .the  true  annals  or  history  of  their  na- 
tion, is  a  coitidusive  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the 
miracles  performed  by  them,  as  well  as  to  the  iuspi-. 
ration  of  their  -several  messages  ;  since  God  alone 
could  give  power  ol  working  miracles. 

S'lliJ.  Pray  give  mc  a  distinc't  explanation  of  the 
Wv">vd  ''  mivdcnfoui;.^' 

Srr;/.  It  means  s<.)niething  done  contrary  to  or 
superioiir  to  the  usual  laws  or  course  of  nature — 
such  as  healing  the  sick,  raising  the  dead  at  a  word, 
with  a  tou(tl».  et43.  Another  unanswerable  evidence 
is  to  be  found  in  their  predictions,  exactly  foretelli-ng 
particular  futrn'o  events  as  to  nations  and  as  to  indi- 
viduals— the  judgmef.,.s'  of  God  upon  their  own 
nation,  itnd  the  pagan  people  around  them — the  rise 
and  history  of  particular  men- — to  the  nicest  degree, 
thousands  of  years  before  their  fulfilment. 
•  ^old.  Give  me  an  example  or  two  ?  , 

Serf/.  I  approve  of  your  curiosity  much,  and  will 
cheerfully  gratify  it ; — there  was  the  Babylonish  cap- 
ti^'ity — that  the  Jews  for  disobedience  to  God's  pre- 
cepts should  be  conquered  by  the  King  of  Babylon, 
their  temple  be  destroyed,  and  themselves  carried  cap- 
tives to  Babylon — that  al'ter  remaining  there  a  num- 
ber of  years,  they'  would  be  restored  to  libierty  and 
tn)  their  native  land,  and  enabled  to  rebuild  Jerusa- 
lem and  the  Temple  ;  again  their  continued  idolrftry 
and  wickedness,  aud  their  final  subjugation  by  the  tlo- 
m^aus. 


TO   CONFEDERATE    S0LBTER3.  11 

The  coming  of  Chuist,  and  particular  evcntsjn  his 
personal  liistory,  viz  :  to  })e  born  of  a  virgin — to  be  of 
David's  family — to  be  born  in  l]othlehcm«— to  ride  into 
Jerusalem  upon  an  ass — to  bo  a  man  of  sorrows — to  be 
sold  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver — to  be  scourged,  buffet- 
ted  and  spit  upon — tl5'  be  numbered'with  malefactors', 
that  is,  to  be  crucified  between  two  thieves — ^^to  have 
gall  and  vinegar  given  him  to  drink — to  be  mocked 
while  hanging  on  flie  cross — to  have  lots  cns^  for  his 
garments — to  niakc  his  grave  with  the  rich — and  to 
rise  from  the  dead  on  the  third  day  without  corruption. 
Isa-  liii;  Dan.  ix,  26.  It  was  foretold  that  Christ 
should  perform  many  notable  and  beneficial  miracles — 
that  the  "eyes  of  the  blind  should  be  opened" — ^Hhe 
cars  of  the  deaf  unstopped  " — "the  lame  man  leap  as 
a  hart,"  and  ''the  tongue  of  tlic  dumb  sing."  Isa. 
XXXV,  5. .  It  was  also  predicted  that  ho  should  appear 
before  the  sceptre  departed  from  Judah,  tiiat  is^  the 
final  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  government  by  the 
Romans. 

•  Sold.  But  how  do  3'ou  know  that  these  facts  were 
not  written  after  they  had  occurred? 

Serg.  I  have  told  you  already  that  the  Jews  had 
acknowledged  for  ages  before  Christ  came,  the  Books 
of  the  Old  Testament  as  their  nationfil  annals,  contain- 
ing the  prophecies  I  have  just  mentioned.  They  guarded 
them  with  the^most  watchful  care,  and  to  prevent  the 
smallest  alteration  or  addition,  even  counted  the  num- 
ber of  the  words  or  letters  :  they  liaiidcd  them  down 
from  father  .to  sou,  from  generation  to  generation,  as 
their  true  national  history — as  the  genuine  vrritings  of 
tlieir  prophctt,  legislators,  etc.  There  coukl  havt?  been 
no  possibility  of  being  deceived,  as  <o  their  authen- 
ticity'or  (late.  As  (;hristiaiiity  i-s  founded  upon  the 
fulfilment  in  Christ  of  the  predictions  confined  in 
these  books,  the  Christians  have  ever  referred  to  them 


12  WORDS  OF  oounst:l 

as  the  fon Delation  of  their  faith  ;  the  Jews,  who  were 
iijortnl  OM(!mi(^  and  opponents  to  CiTRiST  and  his  fol- 
lowers, njul  are-so  in  their  seuttercd  state  U)  tljis  day, 
would  not  eontend  for  the  truth  of  the  very  words  of 
the  Old  Testament  (though  they  de^ny  Christ),  unless 
tlie  universal  and  perpetual  testimony  of  their  nation, 
from  Mo?;es  down,  had  establisheil  their- genuineness 
beyond  doubt. 

Sold.  1  think  [  have  kept  with  you  sp  faV.  ^  Now, 
I  wish  some  more  particntar  aeeount  of  their  actual  ful- 
iilment. 

Sety.  This  exactly  brings  us  to  the  New  Testament. 
We  have  laid  the  foundation,  and  will  now  proceed  to 
the  Oospel  superstructiirc ;  I  hope  you  arc  tolerably 
persuaded- in  your  own  mind  as  to  the  divine  origin, 
and  of  course  the  trutli  of  the  Old  Scriptures,  that 
^^  hoi//  7ihe/i- of  God"  did  '^ :<2)i-(tl'"  therein  "  as //V// 
lon-e  moved  h//  tht]  IIoLY  GiiOST."  The  Oospel, 
or  glad  tidings  as  it  means,  of  peace  and  good-will 
from  God  to  sinful  nsan,  shows  Isow  Ood's  free  and 
sovereign  mercy  and  the  glorious  pbu  of  man's  re- 
demption flowing  from  it,  were  declared,  exemplified 
and  fulfilled  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified. 

Sold.  Yes,  I  do  wish  to  know  something  clear  and 
intejLJigible  about  a  person  whose  name  I  have  heard 
oftener  blasphemed  in  the  army  than  reverenced,  and 
of  whom  I  have  heard  pre\ichers  assert  hard  things. 

Serg.    What,  for  example  ? 

Sold.  Why,  calling  him  Gop  at  one  time  and  man 
at  another. 

Ser<i.  Proachers  often  confound  leading  doctrines 
without  distinguishing  between,  and  shoving  their  re- 
lation one  to  ano'fcher.  Xow  they  only  stated  the  truth 
in  these  declarations. 

Sold,  ^.  am  astonished  in  my  turn.  I  should  think 
this  to  border  on  blasphemy. 


TO   CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS.  13 

Serg,  Precisely  wbat  the  Jews  said  when  Christ 
claimed  to  be  divine. 

Sold.  What,  did  he  claim  to  be  divine  to  the  Jews  ? 

Serg.  Yes,  to  their  vciy  faces,  and  proved  it,  too. 

Sold.   And  how,  pray  ? 

Sergf  By  opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  unstopping 
the  deaf  ears,  raising  the  dead,  etc.,  as  foretold  in^ro- 
phecy. 

Sold.  You  have  surely  forgotten  that  you  said  the 
same  of  the  legislators,  leaders  and  prophets  :  and 
they  were,  not  divine. 

Serg.  No,  1  have  not;  far  from  it.  These  last, 
when  they  delivered  their  messages  to  the  Jews,  were 
careful  to  say,  •'The  Lord  of  Ilosls  saith,'^  ''The 
Lord  commaudeth,^'  etc.,  and  always  appealed  in  a 
solemn  manner  to  elEiiovAH  to  give  miraculous  attes- 
tation to  their  words  as  his  inspired  mes.sage,  on  some 
sign  on  their  part,  as  when  (Exod.  vii,  19)  Aaron 
stretched  out  his  rod  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  its 
fearful  plagues  ensued;  when  the  Amalckites  fought 
with  Israel,  and  were  worsted  when  Moses  held  up 
''  the  rod  of  God  in  his  lia«tls,\^  but  victorious  when- 
ever, through  heaviDCSs,  he  let  it  down.  Exod.  xvii, 
11, 12.  When  the  wall  of  Jericho  fell  down  at  the  Found 
of  Joshua's  trumpets.  Josli.  vi.  When  the  Prophet 
Elijah  contended  with  the  priests  of  Baa),  and  erected 
an  altar,  and  put  wood  and  ;\  bullock  thereon,  and  dug 
a  trench  around  abdut  it,  and  poured  water  upon  it, 
and  prayed,  "  O  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  of 
Israel,  let  it  be.  known  this  day  that  thou  art  God  in 
Israel,  and  that  I  am  thy  servant,  and  that  I  have 
done  all  these  things  at  thy  word,'^  etc.  "■  Then  the 
fire  of  the  Loin^  fell,  and  consumed  it,",  in  the  siglit 
of  all  the  people.  1  Kings  xviii,  20-38.  But  Christ 
says  to  the  tenjpetsluous  sea,  ''  Peai^e,  b*;  still,"  and 
the  elements  are  hushed;   to  the  palsied^  "  Ari.^e  an-l 


14  AYOIU>S    OF   COUNSEL 

walk  ;'\to  the  leper,  ^^  I  will,  be  thou  clean ;"  to  the 
widow's  son,  '^youug  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise;" 
and  to  the  nobleman,  ''Thy  son  liveth,''  etc. :  don't 
you  sec  the  difference  ? 

Sold.  Yes,  OiiRTST  speaks  as  one  who  eommands 
aiAl  is  obeyed  in  his  own  right :  but  have  you  not  di- 
gressed from  the  chief  matter  in  hand? 

Scrg.  Somewhat  ]  but  owing  to  your  own  invita- 
tion :  we  will  return  to  the  Gospel. 

The  hiatory  of  the  life  and  ministry  of  CllRlST 
Is  mainly  contained  in  the  four  gospels  or  books  of 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John,  which,  thou2;h  in 
separate  narratives,  give  most  impartially,  and  with 
winning  simplicity,  a  connected  and  harmonious 
history  of  the  birth,  actions,  precepts,  death,  resur- 
rection, and  ascension  of  Christ.  These  men  were 
poor  and  unlearned  lislicnneii — two,  of  whom,  the  first 
and  the  last,  were  amongst  O-'kist's  immediate  dis- 
ciples. How  can  we- account  then  that'thesc  simple 
narratives  of  so  many  intci'estiug,  wonderful  and  su- 
pernatural events  ;  so.iuuiny  pure  and  heavenly  doc- 
trines and  precepts,  unknown  before  to  the  must 
eminent  human  sages  and  moralists,  arid  subversive  of 
the  most  favoured  prejudices  of  both  Jews  and  Pagans, 
could  have  been  sustained  against  the  incredulity, 
the  inveterate  and  bitter  hostility  of  the  whole  world, 
save  "a  small  sect  everywhere  spoken  against ;''  could 
have  dis.seminated  the  Oluistian  faith  and  doctrine 
among  so  many  kindrtMls,  tongues  and  people,  for 
above  1.800  years, 'and  are  even  now  being  multiplied 
l)y  Uic  power  of  the  press,  beyond  enumeration,  for 
circulation  over  the  whole  earth,  unless  from  the  truth 
of  the  facts  contained  in  them,  indelibly  impressed 
upon  the  mind;.:  of  the  more  civilized  nations  of  the 
f'.^,lobe — unlesn  the  chain  of  tebtiniony  from  the  Old.| 
Testament  to  the  New,  and  tlieuce  through  the  Churchl 


TO   CONFEDERATE   sOLDIERS.  15 

of  Christ  down  to  us  has  remained  unbroken,,  and 
proof  against  the  malice  of  wicked  angels  and  iiien. 

The  testimony  of  Jewish  and  Heathen  writers 
corroborates,  in  the  chief  particulars,  and  controverts 
in  none,  the  plain  narratives  of  the  humble  fisherman 
of  Galileo;  the  great,  the  wise,  the  learned  and  the 
good,  have  reposed  their  faith  upon  them  as^the  in- 
spired repository  of  divine  revelation  in  every  age : 
and  what  is  far  more,  the  authors  themselves^,  and 
their  fellows,  the  primitive  Christians,  staked  tlieir 
lives  upon  their  truth,  and  were  given  some  tu  tlie 
sword,  some  to  the_  cross,  and  some  to  the  tiery 
stake. 

The  writers  of  the  New  'J'cstamcui  state  thenu 
selves  to  have  been  present  e^t  the  miraculous  evenis 
they  describe,  and  would  not  Iravc  risked  their  lives 
unless  satisfied  beyond  doubt  by  the  testimony  of  thcM 
senses,  seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  tasting  and  touching, 
of  the  truth  of  what  thoy  aihrm.  Is  it  reasonable 
to  think  that  any  man  would  expose  himself  to 
the  most  sure,  cruel  persecution  and  suSering,  and 
finally  peril  his  life,  upon  a   lalsohobd  i 

Sold.  Not  at  all,  I'm  free  to  admit.  Well,  my 
good  old  friend,  1  am  objiged  to. you  for  your  brief, 
but  most  clear  and  interesting  account"  of  the  Bible, 
iiud  will  now  thank  you  to  return  to  the  nature  of 
Christ.  What  you  have  already  said  seems,  to  mc 
very  strange  and  mysterious! 

Serg.  Well  may  it  do  so,  when  the  inspired  .St 
Paul  writes  in  bis  epistle 'to  Timothy,  "Great  is  twc 
mystery  of  godliness.  God  was  ni.mifest  in  thf  ilesh,^' 
etc.,  but  it  is  plainly  written  in  tlic  Bible,  and  if  v/e 
do  indeed  believe  that  to  be  the  wird  of  God,  we  mu-t 
believe  \i,  though  in  its  nature  it  be  out  of  tbt  reach, 
of,  but  not  contrary  to,  our  uuJeratandinus-. 

Sold  Can  a  matt' believe  what  he  does  not  oompre^ 
hcnd'^ 


16  WORDS  or  COUNSEL 

'« 

Sciy.  We  do  believe  )nany  thiugs  wc  do  not  un- 
derstand nor  can  explain  fully:  for  example,  we  be- 
lieve that  when  wo  sow  any  kind  of  seed,  it  will, 
in  due  season,  take  root  downward,  spring  up,  blos- 
som, p.nd  bear  fruit;  but  wc  do  not  eeniprchend 
how  God,  who  said,  -'J^ettho  earth  briii-'  forth  £^ss, 
the  herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  fruit  tree  yielding 
fruit  «ftcr  his  kind"  (Gen.  i,  11),  performs  so  won- 
derful an  operation.  Wc  believe,  unless  a  miracle 
intervene,  the  sun  will  rise  to-morrow;  but  do  wc 
understand  how  God  will  cause  the  earth  to  turn 
round  upon  its  axis,  that  the  sun  may  apparently  rise 
to  us  ?  I  might  add  many  litore  examples,  but  will 
only  draw  a  conclusion  from  vfhat  has  been  already 
said.  Wo  see  4he^v/orks  of  creation;  we  behold  their 
order,  method,  fitness';  wc  behold  unerring  wisdom 
in  their  plan,  almighty  power  in  their  execution;  wc, 
therefore,  acknowledge  and  adore  Go.i>,  but  wc  under- 
stand not  his  manner  of  existenec. 

iSold.  I  sec  you  are  I'ight,  and  th:it  wc  fain  must  be- 
lieve man/ things  we  cannot  couipichcnd  ;  but  [in- 
terrupt you. 

Scrt/.   The  Bible   declares  that  all  men   are,  in  the 
sight  of  Goj),  sinners,   and  under   the   curse  of,  tlic 
perfect  law  of  Goi>,   which  dochireth,  ''  The  sou/ that 
sinneih,    it   shall  die."     And,  my  young  friend,  can 
our  own  consciences,  or  our  o,vn'  observation;  assure  us 
that  we,  individually,,  or  our  relations  and    associates, 
are  not  sinners  against  tlio  pure  laws  and  precepts  of 
our  Maker,  our  Preservei;,  our  Master,  and  our  King  'f 
And  when  God,  who  cannot  lie,  sulenj'nly  tells  us  in 
His    Word  that    we  arc  all  found  wanting,  and  con 
demned,    and  under    sentence   by  .thfs   law,  siiall    wc 
rather  believe  the  word,  and  oui  own  deceitful  h-ail. 
and  be  at  peaCe,  rch^n,  'fo  tji^.  u)ic/rr<l  f/if^r,-^  isnojuit,; 
.when  i\,i'.  wrath  of  God  "  who  made/'  and  '•  who  can 
as  easily  destroy/'  is  gatheriuj?-  above  our  guilty  heads?! 

i 


TO   CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS.  17 

But  whatever  we  may  think,  the  truth  of  Gocl  is 
pledged — we  must  all  die — 'tis  true  we.mu.st,  from  the 
mortality  of  our  bodies,  sooner  or  inter  crumble  into 
dust :  but  our  souls  must  stand  before  the  bar  of 
God — a  justly  offended  God  ! 

Now,  my  fellow-sinner,  I  ask  youf?olcmnly,  between 
you  and  myself  alone,  and  God  who  hears  us,  how 
can  you  and  I  escape  that  searching  trial  of  our 
most  iecret  thoughts,  our  idle  and  profane  words, 
our  evil  deeds  ?  Who  shall  plead  for  us.  there,  and 
make  atonement  for  our  sins  '/  There  is  neither  angel 
or  man  worthy  enough,  or  of  sufficient  dignity,  to  ex- 
piate the  universal  violation  of  God's  holy  laws  by 
our  race — for  God  chargeth  the  an<>;els  themselves 
with  folly."     Job  iv,  18;"     . 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  saith  :  ''  And  he  saw  that  there 
was  7io  man,  and  wondered  that  there  u-as  no  inter- 
cessor :  therefore,  his  arm  brought  salvation  unto  liini ; 
and  His  righteousness,  it  sustained  Him.''  Isaiah  lix, 
16.  Yes,  God's  mercy  and  goodness  "  have  laid  help 
upon  one  that  is  mighty.  Psa.  Ixxxix;  19.  GoD,  in 
the  person  of  His  only-begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
took  upon  Him  our  nature,  that  human  nature  which 
ha'd  sinned  ; -^Christ,  according  to  the  prophecies  of 
the  Old  Testament  which  went  before  on  Him,  "  was 
born  of  a  virgin,"  and  "  became  a  man  of  sorrows  " — 
He  was  poor  and  despised.  He  was  persecuted,  calum- 
niated, betrayed,  scourged,  spit  upon,  and  cruciffed 
as  a  malefactor;  but  He  was  without  sin,  and  fulfilled 
in  every  p,oint  the  divine  laws  which  our  race  iiad  all 
broken,  and  '^  once  made  by  His  body  upon  the  cross, 
a  full,  perfect  and  complete  satisfaction  and  atonement" 
for  all  men.  But  He  was  God  as  well  as  man ;  there- 
fore, when  He  spoke  it  was  "as  never  man  spake  :" 
it  was,  "Verily  I  say,"  and  when  He  commanded, 
<*  lo !  the  wiuda  and  the  »ea  obey  Him/'  it  was  as 
8 


18  WORDS    OF   COUNSEL 

when    God    in  the    boi^inning    said,    ^^  Let  there  bo 
light,  and  there  w:is  lit;ht." 

lu  the  Ijible  wo  tind  the  names  and  attributes  of 
(jOD  bestowed  upon  Oiiuisr,  as  well  as  the  name, 
character,  and  pl.ysi(^al  iuliriniti(  .s  of  man  :  Ife  must 
needs  be,  therefore,  (Jod  and  man,  or  the  Scriptures 
are  untrue.  Hut  pray,  is  it  a  whit  more  marvellous 
for  Almighty  Power  to  unite  His  own  srlf'-oxistent 
nature  with  the  human  n?it,uro  created  by  lliiu,  in 
the  person  of  the  holy  child  Jesus,  than  that  Me 
should  have  formed  n»an  of  tlio  dn-^f,,  sfi.l  hare 
breathed  into  llim  a  living  soul  ? 

aS'oA/.    Both   are,  in   trnlh,  hoyoiid   nv.v   rdiuprohcn 
sioQ.      Did    you    m(';i!i,     wImmi    you    smtaMl  just  now  • 
that  Ohhtst    mado    a  full  atoiuMuent    for    all    men, 
that  all  are  without   exco/pti'Hi  pardoned  on    acccmnt 
of  it-t' 

Sen/.    Alas  !   no.      >St.    l*etcr  says,  "-  To    llini   ^ive 
all  the  prophets  witness,  that  throuijh  His  name  who- 
soever belioveth    in^  TJim  shall    receivij    remission   of 
sins.      Acts  X,  43.      To   believe  in    Him  is  the  ooudi- 
tion  on  whicli   sins  are  remitted.     I   will  explain  this 
by  a  kind  of  parable.      Suppose  a  nam})er  of  persons 
confined    in    jail    under    sentence  of   death    for  sonic 
notable   offence,  and  some    benevolent   rtn'd  great  man 
interests  himself  in  their  behalf,  and,  after   nmch  en- 
treaty, obtains  from  governnuMit  the   lives  of  the  pris- 
oners;   h\\i    on    condition    that  they  sign  a    solemn 
pledge  to   remove,  by  a  certain  day,  from  the  country 
for«ver.      If  these  persons    do  not  put  faith  in    this 
promise,  and  refuse  to  sign  the  pledge,  or  if;,  afj;ersiga-^ 
ing  it,  they  should   begin  to  think   that  government*, 
would  wink  at  their  remaining  after  the   appointed 
day,  and    should  fail    to   go,  they    would  justly    be 
put  to  deatli   under   their  original   sentence^   wou  Id 
thev  not  ? 
&oIil,  To  be  sure. 


TO    CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS.  19 

Serg.  The  Bible  (you  do  not  wonder 'now,  I  see, 
a-  you  did,  x\t  my  frequent  i-otVrenee  to  this  book) 
declares  that  Qhrtst  ''died  for  our  sin»,  and  rose 
ti'^fiiin  for  our  justification." 

1st.  That  our  actual  sins  eliould  be  pardoned,  in 
virtue  of  His  bcarina;  tlic  punishment  due  unto  them, 
in  the  same  n.ature  as  our  own,  and  of  his  perfect 
obedience  lo  the  perfectly  pure  laws  we  have  vio- 
lated, conditional  upon  our  hearty  trust  in  Iliiu  as  our 
sole,  all-efficient  Saviour,  and  upon  our  "  bringing 
forth  fruits  meet  for  repent?ance.''  Mntt.  iii,  8.  Christ 
died  to  save  us  from,  and  not  in  our  sin.'^.  St.  Paul 
says,  ''  I>ut  if,  while  wo  seek  to  be  justified  by  Christ, 
we  ourselves  also  are  found  sinners,  is,  therefore, 
Christ  the  minister  of  sin  >*  Xjod  forbid.  For  if  I 
•build  again  the  things  which  1  destroyed,  1  make  my- 
self a  transgressor."  Gal.  ii,  17,  18.  As  if  those 
criminals  mentioned  aboye  should  return  whence  they 
were  banished,  and  commit  the  same  or  other  offences, 
surely  the  mediation  of  their  i-nterces.sor  would  be  of 
no  more  avail.     Docs  this  seem  clear  to  your  mind  ( 

Sol<J.  Quite  so ;  but,  alas  1  who  can  cease  from  sin  ? 
who  can  bo'  perfect  ? 

Serg.  None — not  the  greatest  saints ;  but  far  less 
they  who  rely  upon  any  fancied  goodness  or  strength 
of  their  own  :  only  they  who  seek  aright  that  super- 
natural and  spiritual  aid  Christ  has  promised,  will  be 
delivered  from  the  power  of  it,  and  enabled  *'  fro  work 
out  their  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling." 

Sold.  What  aid  is  that  ? 

Serg.  The  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  inspire  us 
with  good  thoughts  and  holy  resolutions,  and  to 
strengthen  us  to  fulfil  them. 

Sold.  That's  to  my  mind  fanatical. 

Serg.  It  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  aod  a  vita 
one;  and. what  is  surprising   in  it,  since  the   great 


20  WoRD.S    OF    COUNSEL 

hcathon  inorali^its  and  sao;c.s,  Plato  and  Socrates,  ac- 
kijowlf'dged  man'«  need  of  diviiio  iastruetion  ?  We 
Jiave  now  a\]ivino  revelation,  and  that  fissure*  us  that 
God  will  (8t.  Luke  xi,  1 8)/' give  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
them  who  ask  Iliin,"  to  impress  the  truths  of  that 
revelation  upon  tlicir  minds  and  hearts.  GoD,  who 
formed  our  spirits  within  us,  can,  assuredly,  ia  secret 
influence  them  by  his  own  Spirit.  You  call  it  fa- 
natical, and  so  .  iWs  the  world;  but  it  has  been, 
and  eyer  is,  the  most  comfortable,  aniinatinp;  doctrine 
of  the  Jewish  Church,  from  JDavid,  ''  the  sweet 
Psalmist* of  Lsrael,"  and  of  the  Church  of  Christ, 
•from  its  institution. 

Sold.  I  own  that  1  K-mvo  t!iouf>;ht  little  on  it  :  I 
always  slighted  it  as  mere  enthusiasm  and  cant. 

Sei-ij.  I  pray  that  you  may  henceforth  regard  it 
as  ft  most  reason:ib]<i  and  comforting  truth — may 
experience  lis  holy  adaptation-  to  your  own  necessi- 
ties as  a  sinful,  and  weak  pilgrim  on  earth — a  prodi- 
gal son  far  away  from  his  father's  house,  desiring  to 
return  thither,  but  fearing  to  do  so '/  Did  a  Christ- 
ian, during  his  perilous  warfare  with  the  enemies 
without  and  foes  within,  doubt  it  for  a  moment,  he 
would  bo  in  despair,  as  any  man  would  have  been  in 
our  revolutionary  struggles,  who  exercised  no  faith  in 
a  superintending  Providence., 

.    Sold.^   You  bellBYe,   then,  tliat  it   may   be  had,  if 
'prayed  fgr  ?       '     ' 

Serg.  Certainly,  if  God  sees  that  it  is  asked  in  a 
humble,  teachable  frame  of  mind. 

Sold.  But  how  shall  oae  know  if  his  prayer  be 
answered? 

Scrg.  ^^  And  He  said,  So  is  the  kingdom  of  G-OD, 
as  if  a  man  should  cast  seed  into  the  ground;  and 
should  Bleep,  and  rise  night  and  day,  and  the  seed 
should  ipring  and  grow  up,  he  knoweth   Rot  hQw/' 


TO   CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS.  21 

Mark  iv,  2G,  27^  ^'  And  let  us  not  he  weary  in  well- 
doing :  for  in  duo  season  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint.not." 
Gal.'  ri,  9.  "  For  the  promise  is  unto  you  and  your 
children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off/^  etc.  God  has 
promised,  and  will  certainly  perform  to  you  and  to  me, 
and  to  all  who  will  humbly  and  importunately  call 
upon  Hiui. 

Sold,  I  know  not  how,  in  general,  the  revolu- 
tionary soldiers  regarded  this  doctrine )  but,  my  old 
friend,  the  soldiers  of  iho;  present  day  would  mock 
at  and  deride  it,  and  I  iuclino  to  think  some  of  the 
officers  would  laugh  at  it  as  an  old  woman's  talc. 
Why,  I  have  heard  of  more  tlian  one  as  having  said 
that  religion  might  do  for  citizens  well  enough,  but 
'that  soldiers  had  no  business  with  it. 

Scry.  It  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  that  the  ma- 
jority of  private  soldiers,  who  are  mostly  unlearned 
■men  and  without  the  benefit  of  instruction,  either 
mental  or  spiritual,  with  no  chaplain  to  care  for 
their  souls,  should  ignorantlj'  deride  what  thoy'do  not 
understand,  and  have  not  given  a  serious  thought  to  ; 
but  I  am  unwilling  to  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  any 
well-informed  officers  of  our  arm}',  who  have  reocivod 
at  the  West  Point  Academy,  founded  under  General 
Washington's  auspict^s,  a  sound  mathematical  educa- 
tion, and  are  qualified  thereby  to  make  an  accurate  and 
intelligent  examiuation  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity, 
besides  having  abundant  leisure  in  time  of  peace, 
would  set  so  unwise  an  example  to  the  poor  soldiers 
whom  God  has  put  under  them,  as  to  hoot  at  what 
they  have  been  ut  no  pains  to  investigate.  Such  a 
state  of  things,  if  at  all  true,  and,  you  are  not  misin- 
formed, is  surely  deplorable.  Notv,  how  worthy  of 
imitation  tlic  conduct,  as  simply  portrayed  in  Scripture, 
of  two  Kbmau  ceuLurTous  (or  captains).  Tiie  one 
mentioned  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  though 


22  WORDS  OP   COrNSEL 

born  a'*'pagan,  has  exhibited  an  iQstanec  of  perhaps 
the  most  intelligent  yet  humble  faith  on  record,  which 
our  Saviour  at  the  moment  commended,  "as  greater 
than  any  He  had  found  in  Israel ;"  that  nation  of  whom 
it  was  said,  "He  came  unto  His  own,  and  His  own  - 
received  him  not."  He  had  heard  of  Jesus'  mira- 
cles, and  far  from  doubting,  or  from  attributing  them, 
as  did  the  Jews,  to  diabolic  inflaences,  he  thus  ex- 
pressed through  his  friends  a  humble  reliance  upon 
the  Saviour :  "  Wherefore  neither  thought  I  myself 
worthy  to  come  unto  thee,  but  say  ia  a  word,  and  my 
servant  shall  be  healed."  The  other  is  described  in 
Acts  i,  2,  as  "  a  devout  man,  and  one  that  feared  GOD 
with  all  His  house,  which  gave  much  elms  to  the  ^eo- , 
pic,  and  pray  to  God  always."  Unto  him  God  gave 
the  glorious  distinction  of  becoming,  through  angelic 
agency,  the  first  baptized  convert  from  the  Gentiles  j 
and  that  his  example  was  blessed  to  the  soldiers  under 
him,  n^ay  be  seen  from  the  seventh  verse  of  the  same 
chapter.  And  it  was  a  centurion,  who,  when  Christ 
expired  on  the  cross,  seeing  His  magnanimoug  submis- 
sion to  so  ignominious  a  death,  gave  that  noble  and 
ingenuous  attestation  to  his  divine  character  and  claim, 
"  Truly  this  man  was  tlie  Son  o/GoD." 

Sold.  Most  beautiful  examples^  truly )  I  confess 
with  shame  I  never  noticed  them  before.  I  must  read 
my  Bible  more. 

Scrg.-  Ah,  my  young  friend,  I  am  an  old,  superan- 
nuated veteran ;  ray  earthly  battles,  in  one  sense,  arc 
long  since  over ;  I  have  outlived  many  of  my  relatives, 
and  the  associates  of  my  youth  and  manhood;  ray 
toils  and  pleasures  are  alike  past,  my  sun  is  about  to  sot : 
but  I  thank  God  that  I  have  my  Bible,  and  sight 
enough  to  read  its  consolatory,  auimatiug^^promises, 
and  assurances  of  a  better  world  to  come.  I  trust  that 
when  the  time  arrives,  as  soon  it  must,  for  ray  poor 


TO  CONFEDERATE   SOLDIERS.  28 

crazy  limbs  to  be  laid  in  a  soldier's  honoured  ay^ve,  I 
will  be  able  humbly  to  say  as  a  soldier  of^^ESUS 
Christ,  "  I  have  fought  the  good  fight,  I  have  finished 
my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith  :  henceforth  there  is 
laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,"  etc.  Sin- 
cerely do  I  pray  that  you  may  also  find  within  the  sa- 
cred pages,  ^'  the  pearl  of  great  price."  Christ  says, 
"  Search  the  Scriptures ;  they  are  they  which  testify 
of  me."     John  v,  39. 

tSold.  I  am  too  much  your  debtor,  my  good  old 
friend,  to  neglect  your  kind  admonitions ;  depend 
upon  it,  I  will  not  put  thbiu  from  me  as  before. 

iScrr/.  But  as  there  are  many  things  contained 
therein  hard  to  understand,  and  which  we  may  "wrest 
to  x)ur  own  destruction  ;  many  things  opposed  to  our 
corrupt  and  evil  propensities  ;  pray  secretly  to  God  to 
enlighten  your  mind  and  influence  your  heart  by  His 
Holy  Spirit,  and  to  give  you  such  a  teachable  dispo- 
sition, that  the  blessing  of  Christ  may  rest  upon  you. 
To  the  iuurcdulous  Thomas  he  said,  "  Thomas,  be- 
cause thou  hast  seen  me,-  thou  hast  believed  :  blessed 
are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed." 
St.  John  sx,  29. 

Sold.  I  cannot,  if  I  would,  gainsay  your  advice ;  I 
have  lived  like  a  heathen,  I  confess,  without  prayer  of 
any  kind. 

Say.  And,  therefore,  fell  unresistingly  into  the 
ranks  of  cold  and  cheerless  infidelity.  Why,  the  poor 
pagans  are  very  diligent  in  praying  to  stocks  and 
stones,  and  shall  Christian  suklierfi,  in  a  gospel  land, 
Dot  pray  to  God  their  Maker,  nor  read  His  Word? 
'  What  would  be  the  result,  I  ask,  if  soldiers  road  the 
holy  and  peaceful  precepts  of  the  Bible,  and  would 
pr.'.y  to  GuD  for  His  Spirit  to  enable  them  to  under- 
stand, to  love  and  obey  them  i*  drunkenness— that  bane 
of  soldiers— gambling,  lying,  stealing,   evil-speaking, 


21  WORDS   OF  COUNSEL 

k'Scation,  waste  of  health,  character,  and  play,  would 
ill  cGj^.  Soldiers,  instead  of  the  character  of  idle, 
wort^Ss  sots,  which  the  bad  conduct  of  too  many 
of  their  number  causes  their  fellow-citizens  to  enter- 
tain, would  be  looked  upou  as  quiet,  orderly,  cleanly 
luemlters  of  society.  They  would  bo  obedient  and  re- 
spectful to  their  officers ;  friendly,  kijul,  and  at  peace 
<jnc  v.'ith  another;  would  perform  their  duties,  ''not 
with  eye-service,  as  men  pleasers,  but  in  singleness  of 
lic'art,  fearing  CxOD."  They  would  be  content  and 
rrugal  with  their  wages ;  would  be  satisfied  with  the 
warm  and  excellent  clothing,  and  the  wholesome  food 
hey  are  provided  with;  and  as  to  the  comforts  and 
benefit  of  their  post  hospitals  when  sick,  they  would 
haply  be  without  much  opportunity  of  experiencing 
them,  from  'their  improved  health  of  body  and  cheer- 
fulness of  mind.  And  if,  in  the  dispensations  of 
Providence,,  laid  upon  a  bed  of  sickness  and  brought 
to  death's  door,  their  ]>ibles  and  their  pious  com- 
rades would  be  their  comfort;  but  above  all,  their 
habits  of  prayer  would  bring  down  assurances  and  con- 
frolations  above  what  earth  can  give,  and  which,  in 
uiomouts  of  pain,  and  sickness,  and  death,  neither  in- 
fidel nor  scoficr  can  intermeddle  with. 

Sold.  Ah  !'  my  own  brief  experience  tolls  me  what 
fi  blessed  aspt'ct  a  garrison  would  put  on  under  such 
circumstances.  What  a  pleasant  thing  to  be  a  sol- 
dier it  would  then  be;  every  one  would  do  his  own 
share  of  duty,  and  not  throw  it  upou  his  moro  inno- 
ceut  comrades  by  getting  confined ;  the  only  strife, 
if  such  at  all,  would  be  who  should  excel  as  a  ready 
and  clean  soldier. 

Sercj.  Aye,  aye,  then  ^'  would  the  desert  rejoice  and" 
blossom  as  the  rose.'^  (Jsaiah  xxxv,  1).  Every  sol- 
dier would  be  a  Christian  gentleman.  None  by  in- 
toxication or  vulgar  conduct  would  put  himself-  on  a 


TO   CONrEDERATE    SOLDIERS.  25 

pjir  with  the  brute.  Should  war  arise,  what  an  army 
of  heroes,  of  conscientious,  high-principled  Christian 
soldiers  to  defend  our  country  !  Mutiny,  desertion, 
cowardice,  drunkenness,  and  sleeping  on  duty,  etc,  etc., 
would  find  no  place.  The  banner  under  which  they 
fight  would  be  honoured  by  such  defenders,  and  they 
would  deserre  a  general  such  as  Washington,  who, 
after  the  disastrous  aflairs  of  Brandywine  and  Gcr- 
mantown,  while  the  army  lay  at  Valley-Forge,  dur- 
ing the  severe  wiuter'of  '77  and  '78,  in  a  very  desti- 
tute condition,  was  in  the  frequent  habit  of  visiting 
alone  a  secluded  grove.  This  excited  the  curiosity  of 
a  neighbouring  Quaker  gentleman,  named  Potts,  who 
sided  with  the  Tories,  and  led  him  to  watch  his  move- 
ments on  one  of  these  occasions,  till  h"  perceived 
this  great  and  good  man  upon  his  knees,  and  en- 
gaged in  prayer  :  such  was  the  impression  made  on  him, 
that  on  retUlming  home  he  related  the  circumstance 
to  his  family  and  exclaimed — "  Our  cauae  is  lost," 
etc.  Surely,  when  a  man  like  Washington  thus 
"acted,  no  officer  or  soldier  of  our  army  should  view 
himself  as  doing  an  unbecoming  act,  or  as  being 
justly  open  to  ridicule  in  ''praying  to  God  always," 
and  in  all  things  setting  a  pioas  example  to  his  fellow- 
beings  and  companions  in  arniS.     God  forbid. 

Sold.  A  most  striking  example,  indeed  ;  one  which 
no  true-ht;arted  Confederate  soldier  should  hoar  with- 
out emotion.     I  pray  never  to  forgot  it. 

Sevg.  His  wonderful  preservation  on  Braddock's 
bloody  field,  and  on  otiior  occ^siou.s. — his  calm  and 
undismayed  demeanour  in  the  most  gloomy  and  dis- 
heartening circumstances — and  the  final  success  of 
the  American  arms  under  his  auspices — may  well  be 
attributed  in  part  to  his  manly  prayers,  and  pious 
trust  in  an  overruling  Providence.  'Tis  true  that 
great  matters  were  at  stake  in  those  timeii,  and  cal- 


26  ^V0R1)S    OF    COUNSEL 

culated  to  drive  U3  to  our  knees ;  and  so  it  is  uow ; 
but,  if  it  were  not  so,  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt  but 
that  God  wil!  regard  U3  in  the  day  ''  ai  amall  tilings/' 
nor  forget  at  any   tiiue  those  who  liumbly   call  upon 
Hira,  since  he  has  declared   that  ^"^'not  a  sparrow  fal- 
Icth  to   the  ground  without  Uin)/'  aud  that  he  "  will 
ever  temper  the    wind  lo  the  shorn    lamb."     There- 
fore, my  dear  young  frieud,  do  not  omit  in  your  youth 
and  manhood,  wlicn  all  thiug.s  are  apparently  smooth 
and  prosperous  to  you,  to  oifer  with  constancy,  faith, 
and  devotion,-  the  sacrifices  of-  prayer,  thanksgiving}^, 
and  praise  to  Him  who  is  tlic^iuthor  of  all  your  bles- 
sings, that  you  may  not  be  '-  ashamed  in  the  evil  time" 
^  of  misfortune,  war,    bereavement,   vsickness,  old  age, 
temptation  and  t-ial ;   aad  your  own  sliort  experience 
has  told  you  how  uumorous,  treacherous,  and  powerful, 
the  temptations   to  v/bivdi  a  soldier  is  co9^'f/  (hii^i  and 
lioiLr  exposed.      We    are  about  to  part,  perhaps  ncyei' 
to  meet  again  in  this  v/orld  ;  let  my  last  words  be  then 
impressed  upon  you  as  the  legacy  of  a  'poor,  old  veto-* 
ran^  as  to  this  world's  goods,  to   tlie   son  of  departed 
friends.     The  Bible  is  like  a   golden  mine  ;  prayer  is 
the   only  instrument  by   whioft   its  treasures  may  be 
dug  and  brought  to  ligiit,  and   what  now  is  more  ra- 
tional, more   suitable  to  a  dependent  and  accountable 
creature  than  to  supplicate  aud  worship  his  Almighty 
Creator ! 

Sold.  Ere  we  part,  accept  my  best  thanks,  my  good 
old  friend,  for  y^ur  patience  and  preserviuico  iu  en- 
deavouring to  instruct  one  as  ignorant  and  wilful  as 
myself.  Your  remarl^s,  at  once  so  clear  aud  so  true, 
aud  so  charitably  urged  on  one,  1  fain  ho])e  will  not 
be  lost  upon  me.  I  am.detcrmiucd  as  God  shall  help 
me,  whatever  my  comrades  may  say,  no  longer  to  de- 
spise and  neglect  the  Ijiblc,  but  attentively  to  read  it; 
and  I  hope  shall  never  be  ashamed  hereafter  to  follow 


TO    CONFEDERATE    SOLDIERS.  ^t 

the  example  of  so  brarc  a  soldier,  so  groat  and  good  a 
man,  so  true  a  patriot,  as  G-corge  Washington  ;  and  to 
kneel  in  prayer  to  God  wlio  made,  who  prcservcth, 
who  hath  redeemed,  and  v/ho  will  finally  judge  me. 
I  hope  we  may  again  meet,  and  renew  our  interesting 
discourse.  • 

Sera.  Most  heartily  say  I  Amen  to  this.  I  am  not 
worthy  of  so  much  commendation,  since,  when  I  have 
done  all,  I  am  ''  still  an  unprofitable  servant,''  and 
have  only  done  mybounden  duty;  but  I  am  thankful 
we  have  met,  and  pray'that  God  will  bless  those  truths 
I  have  uttered  in  flis  name  for  want'of  a  better  spokes- 
man )  because  they  are  those  He  *  has  himself,  in 
mercy  and  compassion  to  our  proud  and  ii^noraat  race, 
caused  to  be  proninlgated  in  His  blessed  Word.  Fare- 
well. 

"  Blessed  Lord,  who  hast  ciused  all  holy  Scriptures 
to  be  written  for  our  learning ;  grant  that  we  iimy  iu 
such  wise  hear  them,  read,  mark,  Icaru;  and  inwardly 
'  digest  them,  that  by  paticuce  and  comfort  of  thy  holy 
Word,  we  may  embrace  and  ever  ht)lu  fast  the  blessed 
hope  of  everlasting  Hie,  which  thou  hist  given  us  in 
our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.     Amen." 


No.  19. 


'THE  VOICE  OF  CONSCIENCE. 


We  read  tliesc  words  :  ''  If  our  heart  condemn  Uf?, 
God  is  grcntcr  than  oar  hoart,  and  knovvcth  all  things. 
Beloved;  if  our  licarfc  condeaiu  us  not,  then  have  we 
confidence  toward  me."  Nov/ ^hc  Apostle  here  speaks 
of  our  heart  as  though  it  wore  a  kind  of  judge  Avithin 
u^,  accusing  or  excusing  us  according  to  what  we  have 
done.  And  so  it  is ;  our  heart  instructed  bj  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  set  as  judge  over  us  ;  it  tells  us  this  is  right 
and  this  is  wrong ;  when  we  do  what  God  wills,  then 
we  feel  in  our  heart  that  wc  have  done  right;  when 
we  do  what  God  has  forbidden,  then  we  feel  in  our 
heart  that  we  Jiave  done  wrong.  All  our  life  through 
we  are  subject  to  these  judgnients  of  our  heart;  and 
God  in  these  lesser  judgnients  reminds  us  of  that 
greater  judgment  of  the  last  day,  when  we  shall  be 
judged  by  Ilini  who  is  gre'ater  than  our  hearts  and 
knoweth  all  things,  who  will  judge  more  clearly  and 
more  strictly,  who  cannot  bo  deceived  nor  led  astray, 
who  cannot  be  blinded  nor  confused  as  to  what  is  true, 
who  knows  the  heart  better  than  the  heart  knows  itself, 
and  who  can  pass  a  greater  sentence  whether  of  praise 
or  condemnation. 

Indeed,  it  is  God  who  now  speaks  through  our  heart 
or  conscience,  but  then  lie  will  speak  face  to  face  ; 
now  He  speaks  through  this  inward  trumpet,  but  then 
He  will  speak  with  His  own  voice;  now  lie  juc^ges  us 
by  ourselves,  then  He  will  judge  us  by  His  Son 
our  Saviour;  now  He  makes  our  heart  to  pa.ss 
sentence    upon    us   that    we    may    continue   in    that 


THE   VOTOE*  OP    CONSCIENCE.  29 

which  is  good  and  turn  away  from  that  which  is  evil, 
but  then  Mc  will  Himself  pas.'^  .sentence  upon  ua 
through  His  Son,  after  whiidi  tlierc  will  be  no  change  ; 
wo  shall  not  bo  able  to  mend  our  wny.s  y  we  have  done 
evil,  noitheu  -shall  we  again^  be  tempted  by  evil  if  we 
have  done  well. 

Now  if  there  is  so  great  a  judgment  about  to  come, 
and  also  an  unchangeable  seMfeucc  to  be  passed  ou 
every  one  of  us  by  the  voice  of  Christ  Him.self,  h6w 
great  a  mercy  it  is  that  we  have  this  gift  of  conscience, 
this  lesser  judge  seated  in  our  hearts,  who  warns  us  to 
avoid  the  evil  and  to  choose  the  good.  As  God  will 
condemn  sin,  so  He  gives  us  knowledge  and  conscioua- 
ness  of  sin  that  we  may  not  in  if^norance  put  our  hands 
unto  sin.  Wo  do  not  sin  wittiout  knowing  it.  We 
speak  of  "  the  voice  of  conscience,"  of  ^^  the  sting  of 
conscience,"  of  "the  rebuke  or  prickings  of  con- 
science," of  "the  answer  of  a  good  conscience;" 
all  these  terms  are  good  and  true ;  they  show  us  what 
conscience  is  and  jyhat  it  does.  Every  man  will  boar 
witness,  that  a  sort  of  inward  voice  has  called  out  to 
him,  and  spoken  to  him,  and  pleaded  wikh  him,  and 
tried  to  restrain  him  when  ho  has  turned  his  feet  to  evil 
ways,  and  commended  him  when  he  has  resisted  sin 
or  done  kind  deeds. 

Let  any  man  say  if  he  has  been  dishonest  whether 
ho  did  not  feel  he  was  dishonest  i!  Was  there  noj 
something  like  a  hand  laid  upon  him  dragging  his  arna 
back  from  his  neighbour's  good's!  ?  Or  when  he  was  tell- 
ing a  lie,  did  not  something  seem  to  stop  his  tongue 
and  tell  him  of  the  sinfulness  of  a  lie  ?  Or  when  he 
was  minded  to  follow  youthful  lusts,  did  not  his  heart 
sometimes  smite  him  on  the  way  and  persuade  him  to 
turn  back  ?  Or  when  he  over-reached  his  neighbour, 
did  he  not  feel  uneasy  in  his  gain  and  despise  himself 
in  the  very  moment  of  his  guilty  success  ?    Or  when  he 


•';0  TJfE   VOICE    or   CONSCIENCE. 

has  broken  Sabbaths,  has  ho  not  bocn  displeased  with 
hinisoir,  :ind  felt  the  day  hanj*;  lonn:  upon  his  bauds  and 
(KMMi  We:iry  of  hiinsulf  ^  Or  wh(^n  a  lunn  has  fuliilled 
riirist'.-i  Imw.  has  In;  not  had  p;|v;\fc  pcac«^  with  hiinself  ? 
Whon  iu'  lias  battled  with  last  and  turned  away  from 
t!ie  L::i)^pf«*r'.s  v:)ie:\  has  lie.  not  felt  a  IJL^htnes.s  of  heart, 
within  hin»  hs  though  soino  jj;ood  friends  were  speak- 
ing approving  words  ?  When  he  has  helped  a  neigh- 
bour in  tinje  of  neo<i,  has  ha  not  rejoiced  within  him- 
self'/  When  he  has  keptihe  Sabbntli  and  offered  fer- 
vent pra\'er  in  (jMd'.s  house,  h:is  he  not  walked  homo 
with  a  spirit  quite  at  ease  'C  W'Jien  lie  has  givx^n  up 
his  own  will  to  be  kind  and  generDus  and  self-denying, 
has  not  sometliing  in  his  lu;art  praised  him  for  his 
W('ll-d'>ing.  and  eau-ed  Iwm.t^o  go  on  his  way  rejoicing  ? 

[  ask  you,  whetiier  you  have  not  felt  tiiis  judge 
within  you,  this  voice  of  conscience,  condemning  you 
for  that  which  has  been  done  amiss,  and  praising  you 
when  you  have  obeyed  the  motions  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  ?  A  great  mercy  it  'is  tliat  our  heart  is  thus 
moved  to  act  within  us  as  a  judge;  if  is  a  great  thing 
that  we  have  not  been  able  to  be  altogether  eas}'  under 
our  sins  ;  it  is  a  great  thing  that  our  heart  condemns 
lis  when  we  rush  forward  at  the  impulse  of  the  natural 
!(iun  towards  eternal  death., 

ii :ip..y  are  they  and  wise  according  to  the  true  wis- 
'loiti,  who  bless  God  lbr"the  gift  of  conscienc"e,  who 
ii<fe  ii  with  all  care  and  listen  to  its  faintest  voice^  who 
■.iicad  io  di.sob<iy  its  slightest  whispering,  and  try  to 
keep  it  clear  from  all  corruptiou,s  and  deceits.  He 
who  obeys  that  secmt  friend,  aiid  is  easily  vexed  with 
himself  for  sin.  ai»d  is  soon  grieved,  and  is  quick  to 
feel  the  little  beginnings  and  tirst  approaches  of  sin,  is 
advancing  by  sure  steps  towards  acceptance  with  God 
through  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  indeed  wise  who  is  ever 
communing  with  his  own   heart  and  judging  himself 


THE    VOTOK    OF    CONSCIENCE,  ol 

for  wlmf  lit"'  v»-»i\^,  wliM  sfops;  to  nioftsnue  tiio  thoughts 
and  words  nml  ne.t.loih^^,  of  Ihv  ii;>y  by  tho  iio]y  law  of 
(-■hrist.  It  i,>  only  l)}^  t]\\<  cotisrr.nt,  scarchinji^  and 
judging  tiul  sweopini;'  of  tiif  s,ml,  th:it\vo  cnn  k^i'p  it 
in  any  wise  fvoo  IVoni  sin;  oQonc'or^  like  wood*  are  of 
qn'io]^  growth  ;  soon  is  our  inner  Ivousir  tilled  with  dust 
unless  wo  ore  continuidly  at  v/ork  to  keoj)  it  pure  and 
.  cleifn.  It  is  only  hy  eonfinually  askin;.;-  our  heart 
whetlier  it.  h:i«  aught  whereof  to  condemn  us,  that  we 
ean  get  the  answer  of  a  good  conseienee.  The  purer 
we  keep  the  (thambcr  of  our  soul, 'the  more  distinct 
and  clear  does  tho  voice  of  coascienee  become.  Thei'b 
is  the  more  room  for  the  echoes  .'.i!  1  reverl)era{.li)ns  of 
its  kindly  voice;  the  sound  is  not  niuHiod  ti.»i'  choked 
up,  but  comes  out  with  all  its -proper  streiigth. 

•  VVe  must  bo  careful  how  we  use  our  conscience,  lest 
we  weaken  or  stifle  or  pervert  it.  tt  is  not  such  a  gift 
that  it  cauDot  be  spoilt ;  it  ia  not  such  a  friond  that  it 
cannot  be  rebuffed.  \Ve  may  so  resist  it  as  t-o  make  it 
speak  less  clearly  ;  at  last  by  resisting  it  for  many  days 
we  may  bo  brought  liot  to  know  what  it  says  ;  such 
confused  sound^i.  will  \f^  within  us  that  we  shall  not 
be  able  to  distinguish  the  teaching  of  God.  We  can 
liarden  our  lu^arts  by  continual  sin.  Woe  be  to  us  if 
we  fi'dl  into  so  evil  a  state  as  to  hoar  nothing  when  we 
sin,  and  to  feel  no  compunction,  and  to  have  no  fears. 
I  pray  you  to  be  very  tender  with  your  conscience,  and 
to  deal  with  it  very  tenderly  ;  let  it-  not  speak  in. vain  j 
open  your  ears  whether  it  ap4>.roves  or  blames  ;  wince 
not  if  it  blames,  but  hear  it  out;  do  not  try  to  drown 
it,  for  it  would  be  the  drowning  of  a  friend ;  go 
whither  it  presses  you  to  go,  go  aot  where  it  seems  to 
forbid  you  and  to  draw  you  back  ;  make  uoc  yourselves 
deaf,  for  it  speaks  within  you  for  your  good.  God 
the  Holy  Ghost  teaches  your  heart  to  lead  you  the 
closer  to  Christ.     Though  sometimes   Satau  may  cor" 


J-  THE   YOICK    OF   CON -SCIENCE, 

rupt  cnn^,rit^ii.-.\  tfinii:',li  it.  is  nut  :i  porffct  f^ui«le,  yet 
thii  lUi.re  wo  o\n'y  its  ivnlior  tones,  tlit;  K'sh  will  Satan 
bo  abl^  to  ppiviMT  it,  tlie  inorfi^etiliitily  will  it  btv  ia- 
structiMl  bv  tlio  Spirit  uf  (;loil,  (ho  inon^  we  \n:\y  trust 
anJ  follow  it.  Listen  tbon  lu  vuur  heart,  to  that  first 
judge  which  is  on  the  iudtitucat  neat  within  you,  that 
you  may  estiape  the  wrath  of  thiU  grtiatei  Judge  wlio 
will  sift  you  to  the  very  eore,  who  knr»«vcth  all  things, 
and  will  avtM]'i.v  llirtv^H!f,».M  »;]'  -  ouiied. 


THY   WIJ.L  BE  DONE. 


Not.  in  the  glorious  mori^i  of  life 
Wlien  pleasure  is  speeding  llie  goMeii  hour.?, 
"When  the  be;ui  with  a  thousand  hapes  isjife, 
And  leys  with  the  vi-orld  liken  becanionf^flowei^  : 
\Vhoii  our  hvaviest  grleT  is  a  «ose-leaf  prest, 
Can  we  learu  this  lesson  :  "■  So  best— so  best 
He  do'eth  all  thifig3,well !'" 

Bill  when  youth  and  its  lairy  vision's  gone. 
We  faiut  with  the  burden  of  weary  years, 
And  each  ros}--  hope  i:^  fojever  flown,  '^ 

And  life's  beaming  sunlight  has  set  in  tears; 
From  the  depths  of  a  sjjirit,  that  longs  for  rest, 
We  say,  bioken-hearted  :  "  So  best — so  best 
He  doeth  all  things  well!'' 

Viola. 


PrQtettant  Episcopal  Church   Publishing   Association, 
Charloiic,  ^\  C. 


